Russell Athletic Bowlhttp://russellathleticbowl.com
RSS feeds for Russell Athletic Bowl60http://russellathleticbowl.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=213&PortalID=0&TabID=96Week Thirteen Bowl Projectionshttp://russellathleticbowl.com/news/tabid/96/ID/213/Week-Thirteen-Bowl-Projections.aspx
Mark Schlabach (ESPN) &ndash; Miami vs. Louisville
Brad Edwards (ESPN) &ndash; Virginia Tech vs. Louisville
Scout.com/CollegeFootballNews.com &ndash; Duke vs. Louisville
Jerry Palm &ndash; Miami vs. Louisville
ESPN ACC &ndash; Duke
SB Nation- Boston College vs. Louisville
Athlon Sports- Miami vs. Louisville
Sporting News- Miami vs. Louisville
Orlando Sentinel- Miami vs. Louisville
Stewart Mandel/SI- Miami vs. Louisville
USA Today- Miami vs. Louisville
&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s another week with mostly the same cast and characters in the Russell Athletic Bowl media projections. Louisville for the sixth week running appeared in every projection out of the American Athletic Conference. The ACC continues to be headlined by Miami and Virginia Tech with Duke remaining for their third straight week, while Boston College makes its first projection of the season as well.
Louisville (10-1, 6-1 The American) pulled out a 24-17 win over Memphis in its final home game of the season. The Cardinals had a 24-3 lead entering the third quarter before allowing two late Memphis touchdowns to cut the lead to seven. Memphis had the ball at its own six with 37 seconds remaining but was unable to complete the comeback. Louisville has the weekend off before ending the regular season at Cincinnati (9-2, 6-1 The American) on December 5th. Louisville remains alive for a BCS bid, but would likely need UCF to lose out to have a shot at the American Athletic Conference championship and the automatic bid that goes along with it.
Miami (8-3, 4-3 ACC) leads the way in projections out of the ACC for the fourth straight week. The Hurricanes rebounded from three straight loses with a 45-26 win over Virginia. The Miami defense led the way forcing four turnovers including a 19-yard interception return for a touchdown by Tracy Howard on Virginia&rsquo;s first play from scrimmage. The Hurricanes complete their ACC schedule traveling to Pittsburgh (6-5, 3-4 ACC) for a Black Friday matchup. Miami can still win the Coastal Division but would need to win as well as have Virginia upset Virginia Tech and Duke fall to North Carolina.
Duke (9-2, 5-2 ACC) remains in control of the Coastal Division and with a win over North Carolina (6-5, 4-3 ACC) this weekend the Blue Devils will make their first appearance in the ACC Championship Game. Duke pulled out a close 28-21 win over Wake Forest this past weekend. The Blue Devils were down 21-14 early in the second half but scored the final two touchdowns to pull out the win. Junior Anthony Boone threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
If Duke were to trip up next weekend, Virginia Tech (7-4, 4-3 ACC) holds the next best chance to head to Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game. With a Virginia Tech win over Virginia and a Duke loss to UNC, the Hokies would win the Atlantic. Tech sat idle this weekend after falling at home to Maryland the week prior before heading to Virginia (2-9, 0-7 ACC) this weekend. The battle for the Commonwealth Cup is decisively in Virginia Tech&rsquo;s favor with them holding an all-time record of 54-37-5 in the series.
Boston College (7-4, 4-3 ACC) makes its first appearance in the Russell Athletic Bowl projections this season. The Eagles are coming off a 29-26 win over Maryland. Boston College&rsquo;s Nate Freese, who hasn&rsquo;t missed a field goal all year, hit a 52 yard field goal as time expired to win the game and match his career long. Eagles&rsquo; running back Andre Williams, who is beginning to get some dark horse Heisman consideration, continued where he left off rushing for 263 yards and two touchdowns. Williams leads the nation with 2,073 rushing yards, which is 462 yards more than the closest competitor. Boston College closes out its regular season against ACC newcomer Syracuse (5-6, 3-4 ACC) this weekend.
Georgia Tech (7-4, 5-3 ACC) fell out of the projections this week. The Yellow Jackets had a convincing 66-7 victory over Alabama A&amp;M this weekend. Tech ran the ball 52 times for 428 yards in the win with 15 players receiving at least one carry and no player carrying the ball over nine times. The Yellow Jackets close out the regular season against Georgia (7-4, 5-3 SEC) this weekend. Georgia Tech can still win the Coastal Division but it needs Miami, Virginia Tech and Duke all to lose this weekend.&nbsp;Vince BarnabaTue, 26 Nov 2013 17:42:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:213http://russellathleticbowl.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=212&PortalID=0&TabID=96Week Twelve Bowl Projectionshttp://russellathleticbowl.com/news/tabid/96/ID/212/Week-Twelve-Bowl-Projections.aspx
Mark Schlabach (ESPN) &ndash; Miami vs. Louisville
Brad Edwards (ESPN) &ndash; Virginia Tech vs. Louisville
Scout.com/CollegeFootballNews.com &ndash; Virginia Tech vs. Louisville
Jerry Palm &ndash; Virginia Tech vs. Louisville
ESPN ACC &ndash; Miami
SB Nation- Duke vs. Louisville
Athlon Sports- Miami vs. Louisville
Sporting News- Miami vs. Louisville
Orlando Sentinel- Georgia Tech vs. Louisville
Stewart Mandel/SI- Miami vs. Louisville
USA Today- Miami vs. Louisville
&nbsp;
According to the experts the Russell Athletic Bowl will feature Louisville against a team from the ACC Coastal Division as Miami and Virginia Tech lead the way in this week&rsquo;s projections, with Duke and Georgia Tech also making appearances.
Duke (8-2, 4-2 ACC) controls its own destiny in the Coastal Division as it has a chance to win its first conference championship since 1989. The Blue Devils upended Miami (7-3, 3-3 ACC), 48-30, this past weekend. Duke rushed for 358 yards and five scores including four touchdowns from quarterback Brandon Connette in the win. Duke will hit the road for the final two weeks heading to in-state rivals Wake Forest (4-6, 2-5 ACC) and North Carolina (5-5, 4-3 ACC), while Miami closes out the season hosting Virginia (2-8, 0-6 ACC) before heading to Pittsburgh (5-5, 2-4 ACC).
Virginia Tech (7-4, 4-3 ACC) dropped a 27-24 decision to Maryland at Lane Stadium this past weekend. The Hokies allowed over 100 yards passing and rushing from quarterback C.J. Brown (135 and 122 respectively) including a three-yard overtime touchdown that ultimately sealed the game. While the Hokies will need help to make it to Charlotte for the ACC Championship game there are actually 11 of 32 possible scenarios remaining in the Coastal Division that would come out in Tech&rsquo;s favor. All of those scenarios rely on the Hokies beating Virginia on the road next weekend.
Georgia Tech (6-4, 5-3 ACC) finished up its ACC schedule with a 55-31 defeat at Clemson Thursday night. Tajh Boyd threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns and helped the Tigers jump out to a 20-0 lead that the Yellow Jackets couldn&rsquo;t recover from.&nbsp; Georgia Tech hosts FCS-foe Alabama A&amp;M this weekend before closing out the year against in-state rival Georgia (6-4, 4-3 SEC).
Louisville (9-1, 5-1 American) remains in the driver&rsquo;s seat to represent the American in this season&rsquo;s Russell Athletic Bowl thanks in part to a 20-13 win over Houston this past weekend. Running back Dominique Brown rushed for 137 yards and two scores for the Cardinals, and the Louisville defense held the Cougars scoreless in the second half. The Cardinals host Memphis (3-6, 1-4 American) this weekend.Vince BarnabaTue, 19 Nov 2013 16:08:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:212http://russellathleticbowl.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=211&PortalID=0&TabID=96Weekend Spotlight: Georgia Tech at Clemsonhttp://russellathleticbowl.com/news/tabid/96/ID/211/Weekend-Spotlight-Georgia-Tech-at-Clemson.aspx
Georgia Tech (6-3, 5-2 ACC) at No. 8 Clemson (8-1, 6-1 ACC)
Georgia Tech leads the series 50-26-2 (Last meeting October 6, 2012: Clemson 47, Georgia Tech 31)
Georgia Tech can clinch at least a share of the ACC Coastal Division title with a win Thursday, while Clemson can keep their dreams of a BCS at-large invitation alive with a win. While Georgia Tech has nearly doubled up Clemson in the win column in this rivalry&rsquo;s history, the Tigers own an 11-6 mark against the Yellow Jackets in Death Valley.
Georgia Tech has been one of the most consistent programs in the country over the past 20 years. The Yellow Jackets have 19-straight seasons at or above .500, which is the longest such streak in the nation. This year&rsquo;s team is one of three teams to rank in the top 10 of both rushing offense (311.2 ypg, 5th overall) and rushing defense (103.4 ypg, 10th overall) along with Ohio State and Wisconsin. &nbsp;The Jackets, while known as a rushing team under Paul Johnson, also have big-play potential in the passing game, as they rank second behind Baylor in yards per completion with 18.2. On defense Georgia Tech is led by a pair of seniors, Jemea Thomas and Jeremiah Attaochu. Attaochu comes into the game the third active FBS leading in career sacks with 25, and just six sacks shy of Georgia Tech&rsquo;s career record. Thomas enters the game on a hot streak as over the past two games he has accumulated 21 tackles, three pass break ups, and an interception and earned back-to-back ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors.
While Georgia Tech has been consistent over the past two decades, Clemson comes in on one of the more successful stretches of any team in the nation. The Tigers are one of just five teams, along with Alabama, Oklahoma, Stanford and Oregon, to be ranked in the top 20 of the BCS Standings for 20 consecutive weeks. Clemson is led by their offense and its array of offensive weapons. Senior Tajh Boyd enters just two touchdown passed behind Phillip Rivers for the ACC career record of 95. Last week he broke the ACC record of total touchdowns created (rushing and passing touchdowns) with 116. Boyd&rsquo;s favorite receiver has been Sammy Watkins who enters the game needing just 18 receiving yards to become just the second ever Clemson pass catcher to have two 1,000 yard seasons in their career. He is also just 112 yards away from breaking DeAndre Hopkins&rsquo; record for career receiving yards.
Two-Point Conversion
-Clemson is Georgia Tech&rsquo;s oldest ACC rivalry with their first meeting occurring in 1898. This will also be the first time the schools meet on a Thursday since playing each other on Thanksgiving every year between 1905-1914.
-John Heisman coached at both schools in the early 1900s. He went 19-3-2 (.833) at Clemson between 1900-1903 and 102-29-7 (.779) at Georgia Tech from 1904-1919. He is the all-time leader in winning percentage at both schools.&nbsp;Vince BarnabaWed, 13 Nov 2013 14:45:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:211http://russellathleticbowl.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=210&PortalID=0&TabID=96Week Eleven Bowl Projectionshttp://russellathleticbowl.com/news/tabid/96/ID/210/Week-Eleven-Bowl-Projections.aspx
Mark Schlabach (ESPN) &ndash; Miami vs. Louisville
Brad Edwards (ESPN) &ndash; Miami vs. Louisville
Scout.com/CollegeFootballNews.com &ndash; Georgia Tech vs. Louisville
Jerry Palm &ndash; Virginia Tech vs. Louisville
ESPN ACC &ndash; Miami
SB Nation- Duke vs. Louisville
Athlon Sports- Miami vs. Louisville
Sporting News- Georgia Tech vs. Louisville
Orlando Sentinel- Miami vs. Louisville
Stewart Mandel/SI- Miami vs. Louisville
USA Today- Miami vs. Louisville
&nbsp;
The majority of the experts agree that Miami will meet Louisville in this year&rsquo;s Russell Athletic Bowl. Louisville remains the unanimous decision to represent the American Athletic Conference, while Miami has emerged as favorites out of the ACC with Duke, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech also receiving votes.
For the fourth consecutive week Louisville (8-1, 4-1 American Athletic) is the top choice to represent the American Athletic Conference. The Cardinals defeated UConn 31-10 this weekend, led by a defense that caused five turnovers including two interceptions by Terell Floyd with one being returned for a touchdown. The Cardinals return home to face Houston (7-2, 4-1 American Athletic) in a game that will all but eliminate one team from the American Athletic Conference race.
Miami (7-2, 3-2 ACC) has emerged as the favorite to head to Orlando from the ACC. The Hurricanes dropped their second straight game, this time to Virginia Tech, 42-24. Stephen Morris threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns, but the rushing attack of Miami was stymied after losing Duke Johnson for the season, rushing for just 28 yards. Miami faces Duke (7-2, 3-2 ACC) in a key Coastal Division matchup this weekend. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Duke made its first appearance in a projection this season as SB Nation had them heading to Orlando. The Blue Devils are off to a 3-2 record in conference for the second straight season, and have already secured their first seven win season since finishing 8-4 in 1994. Duke scored 21 unanswered points to complete a comeback for a 38-21 victory over NC State Saturday. DeVon Edwards had interception returns for touchdowns on back-to-back NC State plays to secure the win. With a Georgia Tech loss on Thursday night, Duke would control its own destiny in the Coastal Division.
Georgia Tech (6-3, 5-2 ACC) remains in the projections for the third-consecutive week. The Yellow Jackets were idle this past weekend before heading to Clemson (8-1, 6-1 ACC) this Thursday for their final conference game of the year.
Virginia Tech (7-3, 4-2 ACC) climbed to second in the Coastal Division and now stand just a half game behind Georgia Tech thanks to a 42-24 win over Miami this weekend. Logan Thomas led the Hokies with 366 passing yards and two touchdowns. Virginia Tech returns home to face Maryland (5-4, 1-4 ACC) whom they have never lost to in ACC competition.
Clemson (6-3, 5-2) was not in the projections this week after appearing for the past three weeks. The Tigers were idle this past weekend before welcoming Georgia Tech to Death Valley.&nbsp;Vince BarnabaTue, 12 Nov 2013 15:30:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:210http://russellathleticbowl.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=208&PortalID=0&TabID=96American Week Twelve Previewshttp://russellathleticbowl.com/news/tabid/96/ID/208/American-Week-Twelve-Previews.aspx
Houston (7-2, 4-1 American) travels to No. 20 Louisville (8-1, 4-1 American) for its second-straight road game against a ranked opponent. The Cougars suffered their first conference defeat last weekend, falling 19-14 at UCF. The matchup features the top two scoring offenses in the conference with Louisville averaging 38.4 points per contest, and Houston close behind at 38.1 points per game, despite only scoring two touchdowns against the Knights. The Cardinals won 31-10 at Connecticut last Friday night. The teams last met in 2004 as members of Conference USA.
No. 17 UCF (7-1, 4-0 American) makes its first road trip since an October 18 trip to Louisville when it visits Temple (1-8, 0-5 American) this weekend. The Knights sit atop the conference standings as the only unbeaten team after beating Houston, 19-14. UCF held the Cougars out of the end zone on their final drive to secure the win and reach their highest ever national ranking in this week&rsquo;s polls. The Knights defense continued its stellar play, lowering its points allowed to 18.6 per game. Temple returns home following a two-game road stretch at SMU and Rutgers, both losses.
Rutgers (5-3, 2-2 American) welcomes Cincinnati (7-2, 4-1 American) to Piscataway for a conference matchup. The Bearcats come in riding a four-game winning streak in which they have scored more than 35 points per game. Cincinnati begins a three-game stretch to end the season featuring trips to Rutgers and Houston, and then a home game against No. 20 Louisville. Rutgers snapped a two-game skid with a 23-20 win over Temple in week 10 before sitting idle this past weekend. Rutgers has won two-straight over Cincinnati following a five-game skid from 2006-2010.
SMU (3-5, 2-2 American) hosts Connecticut (0-8, 0-4 American) for the second time in school history. The teams have met once previously with SMU claiming a 31-30 win over UConn in 1989 before the Huskies joined the FBS. SMU has established one of the best passing attacks in the nation behind quarterback Garrett Gilbert. The senior transfer has tossed for 3,037 yards and 17 touchdowns, including back-to-back 400-yard games against Temple and Cincinnati. UConn junior Lyle McCombs ranks third in the conference in all-purpose yardage, accumulating 112 yards per game.
Memphis (2-6, 0-4 American) and South Florida (2-6, 2-2 American) meet in Florida for the first time since playing in the 2008 St. Petersburg Bowl. The Bulls started 2-0 in conference play before dropping games against Louisville and Houston to even their record at .500. Despite being winless in conference play, Memphis ranks fourth in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 21.9 points per contest. USF holds a 3-2 record in the series dating back to 2001. Alex WilcoxTue, 12 Nov 2013 13:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:208http://russellathleticbowl.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=209&PortalID=0&TabID=96ACC Week Twelve Previewshttp://russellathleticbowl.com/news/tabid/96/ID/209/ACC-Week-Twelve-Previews.aspx
No. 2 Florida State (9-0, 7-0 ACC) plays its final conference game of the season, hosting Syracuse (5-4, 3-2 ACC). The Seminoles continued their conference dominance last weekend, holding Wake Forest to 166 total yards in a 59-3 blowout. FSU ranks second nationally in scoring offense (52.0 ppg) and fourth in scoring defense (12.0). Syracuse has won two-straight ACC games, holding Wake Forest and Maryland to three total points in the victories. FSU has won the last five meetings against the Orange, with its only loss coming at Syracuse in 1966.
Georgia Tech (6-3, 5-2 ACC) visits No. 8 Clemson (8-1, 6-1 ACC) for a Thursday night ACC matchup. The Tigers and Yellow Jackets both had bye weeks to prepare for the midweek battle. Clemson comes in to the game as the 10th best passing team in the nation (332.7 ypg), while Georgia Tech ranks fifth in rushing yards (311.2). The Yellow Jackets have won five of the last seven meetings with Clemson, but the Tigers have won the past two in Death Valley.
No. 23 Miami (7-2, 3-2 ACC) visits Duke (7-2, 3-2 ACC) for a pivotal Coastal division matchup. Duke has gotten off to its best start in two decades, reaching the seven win mark for the first time since going 8-4 in 1994. The Blue Devils and Hurricanes are two of four teams in the division with only two conference losses so a win is crucial to keep pace in the championship race. Duke&rsquo;s defense has played well in its last four games, allowing fewer than 15 points per game. Miami has won nine-straight over Duke and the Blue Devils have never beaten Miami in Durham.&nbsp;
Boston College (5-4, 2-3 ACC) welcomes NC State (3-6, 0-6 ACC) to Chestnut Hill where it has won four-straight games over the Wolfpack. The Eagles have won back-to-back games for the first time since starting the season 2-0, defeating Virginia Tech at home and winning on the road at New Mexico State. Running back Andre Williams had his most efficient game in an already stellar season, rushing 30 times for 295 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Aggies. NC State plays its final road game of the season before finishing with home contests against East Carolina and Maryland.
Two teams coming off big wins meet as North Carolina (4-5, 3-3 ACC) travels to Pittsburgh (5-4, 2-3 ACC). The Tar Heels claimed their largest win of the season, defeating Virginia by 31 points, to extend their winning streak to three games and even up their ACC conference record. Pittsburgh earned a signature win for head coach Paul Chryst, defeating then-No. 23 Notre Dame, 28-21. Both teams need help to win the division, but sit only one game back of the division leaders in the loss column.
Virginia Tech (7-2, 3-2 ACC) plays its final home game of the season, hosting Maryland (5-4, 1-4 ACC). The Hokies snapped a two-game losing skid, defeating Miami on the road, 42-24. Quarterback Logan Thomas passed for 366 yards and two scores, and running back Trey Edmunds rushed for four scores as the offense compiled 549 yards in the victory. The Terrapins have dropped three-straight games since defeating Virginia on October 12. Virginia Tech is a perfect 4-0 against Maryland since joining the ACC in 2004. Alex WilcoxTue, 12 Nov 2013 13:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:209http://russellathleticbowl.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=207&PortalID=0&TabID=96UCF Holds Off Houston For American Athletic Conference Leadhttp://russellathleticbowl.com/news/tabid/96/ID/207/UCF-Holds-Off-Houston-For-American-Athletic-Conference-Lead.aspx
Although conferences changed, the rivalry between UCF (6-1, 4-0 The American) and Houston (7-2, 4-1) was intense as ever. UCF held on to beat the Cougars 19-14 in front of 44,665 fans at Bright House Networks Stadium Nov. 9 putting them in the driver&rsquo;s seat for the American Athletic Conference&rsquo;s BCS bid. Justin KaneSun, 10 Nov 2013 13:49:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:207http://russellathleticbowl.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=206&PortalID=0&TabID=96Weekend Spotlight: Houston at UCFhttp://russellathleticbowl.com/news/tabid/96/ID/206/Weekend-Spotlight-Houston-at-UCF.aspx
Houston (7-1, 4-0 American) at No. 21 UCF (6-1, 3-0)
UCF leads series 3-1 (Last meeting November 5, 2010: UCF 40, Houston 33)
Two newcomers to the American Athletic Conference face off in a Saturday night showdown with the winner controlling its destiny in the race for the conference&rsquo;s automatic BCS bid. The Cougars and Knights are no stranger to meaningful November games, as one of the two teams has appeared in seven of the last eight C-USA championship games prior to joining The American this season. The teams are a combined 7-0 in conference play, outscoring American opponents by more than 17 points per game.
Houston&rsquo;s offense has been a model of consistency through the first eight games of the season. Led by true freshman QB John O&rsquo;Korn, the Cougars&rsquo; have scored points in all 32 quarters of action, the only team in the FBS to accomplish the feat. O&rsquo;Korn leads all true freshman with 22 passing touchdowns, doing so with a young team that features only seven seniors on the roster. Houston has taken advantage of other team&rsquo;s mistakes, leading the nation with a +20 turnover margin and multiple forced turnovers in 15-straight contests. Junior linebacker Efrem Oliphant leads the team with 78 tackles, nine tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. The Cougars begin a pivotal two-game road stretch with a trip to Louisville on the horizon next weekend.
UCF enters the game with its highest national ranking in school history and one win away from tying the best start in school history. The 2013 squad is just the second UCF team to score 20+ points in the first seven games of the season. Quarterback Blake Bortles and running back Storm Johnson have led the charge, tallying a combined 26 touchdowns. Bortles has completed 67% of his passes for 1,870 yards, while Johnson is averaging 5.2 yards per carry on the ground. The pair of juniors complement a defense that has been among the best in the conference through the first half of the season. UCF has allowed less than 20 points per game, ranking 18th nationally, aided by a defense that ranks eighth in red zone efficiency. Not to be left out, the special teams have been stellar as kicker Shawn Moffitt (9-9) is one of nine kickers in the nation to not miss a kick this season (min. five attempts)
Extra point &ndash; Houston and UCF rank second and third in the conference in red zone offense, scoring on a combined 71 of 82 opportunities inside the 20-yard line. Alex WilcoxThu, 07 Nov 2013 12:46:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:206http://russellathleticbowl.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=205&PortalID=0&TabID=96Week Ten Bowl Projectionshttp://russellathleticbowl.com/news/tabid/96/ID/205/Week-Ten-Bowl-Projections.aspx
Mark Schlabach (ESPN) &ndash; Miami vs. Louisville
Brad Edwards (ESPN) &ndash; Georgia Tech vs. Louisville
Scout.com/CollegeFootballNews.com &ndash; Georgia Tech vs. Louisville
Jerry Palm &ndash; Miami vs. Louisville
ESPN ACC &ndash; Georgia Tech
SB Nation- Miami vs. Louisville
Athlon Sports- Miami vs. Louisville
Sporting News- Georgia Tech vs. Louisville
Orlando Sentinel- Virginia Tech vs. Louisville
Stewart Mandel/SI- Miami vs. Louisville
USA Today- Clemson vs. Louisville
A minor shake up has occurred in the projections this week thanks to the reemergence of Georgia Tech as a potential Russell Athletic Bowl selection. Louisville and Miami remain the favorites, with Clemson and Virginia Tech falling in popularity this week.
Georgia Tech (6-3, 5-2 ACC) makes its first appearance in a projection in a month and a half thanks to its current three game winning streak. The Yellow Jackets&rsquo; most recent victory was a 21-10 decision over Pittsburgh. The top rushing team in the ACC ran for 276 yards and picked up all three of its touchdowns on the ground. Georgia Tech has the weekend off before a Thursday night battle at Clemson (8-1, 6-1 ACC).
Miami (7-1, 3-1 ACC), despite falling 41-14 to Florida State, remains the favorite to represent the ACC in Orlando this year. The Hurricanes lost more than just the game in Tallahassee as leading rusher Duke Johnson, who rushed for 97 yards in the loss, broke his ankle and will miss the remainder of the season. Miami returns home this weekend to face Virginia Tech in a must win game for the Coastal Division.&nbsp;
Virginia Tech (6-3, 3-2 ACC) remains in the projections despite dropping its second straight ACC game. The Hokies gave up 27 second half points including 17 in the fourth quarter of the 34-27 loss to Boston College. Senior quarterback Logan Thomas threw for 391 yards but also turned the ball over four times in the loss.
Clemson (8-1, 6-1 ACC) makes its third consecutive week in at least one projection. The Tigers have rebounded from a tough loss to Florida State with two straight convincing wins over Maryland and Virginia, 40-27 and 59-10 respectively. Clemson has the weekend off before welcoming Georgia Tech next Thursday for its final conference game of the season.
Despite being idle this past weekend, Louisville (7-1, 3-1 American Athletic) remains the only team from the American Athletic Conference to appear in any projection. The Cardinals currently sit behind Houston and UCF midway through the American Athletic Conference schedule. Louisville hits the road to take on Connecticut (0-7-0-3 American Athletic) this weekend, who is one of just five teams in the FBS that are winless on the year.
&nbsp;Vince BarnabaTue, 05 Nov 2013 17:22:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:205http://russellathleticbowl.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=204&PortalID=0&TabID=96ACC Week Eleven Previewhttp://russellathleticbowl.com/news/tabid/96/ID/204/ACC-Week-Eleven-Preview.aspx
The ACC&rsquo;s only remaining unbeaten team, No. 2 Florida State (8-0, 6-0 ACC), visits Wake Forest (4-5, 2-4 ACC). The Seminoles continued their dominant season, defeating previously unbeaten Miami, 41-14, behind 325 passing yards from QB Jameis Winston. Florida State is the only team in the FBS to rank in the top five in both scoring offense (51.1 ppg) and scoring defense (13.1). Wake Forest returns home following a two-game road trip to Miami and Syracuse, both losses. The Demon Deacons have won two of their last three home games against FSU.&nbsp;
Virginia Tech (6-3, 3-2 ACC) hosts No. 11 Miami (7-1, 3-1 ACC) in a pivotal Coastal division matchup. The Hokies and Hurricanes are each coming off losses, but still can win the division with a strong finish to the season. Virginia Tech has lost back-to-back games against Duke and Boston College, while Miami suffered its first setback of the season, falling on the road at Florida State. Miami will be playing its first game without star RB Duke Johnson, who broke his ankle against the Seminoles.
North Carolina (3-5, 2-3 ACC) welcomes Virginia (2-7, 0-5 ACC) to Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels have rebounded from a 0-3 start in conference play with two-straight wins over Boston College and NC State. Wide receiver Quinshad Davis had two catches against the Wolfpack, but both went for touchdowns, leading the Heels to a 27-19 win over their in-state rivals. Virginia has dropped six-straight games since defeating VMI on September 21.
Syracuse (4-4, 2-2 ACC) begins a two-game road trip, traveling to Maryland (5-3, 1-3 ACC). The Orange have been involved in back-to-back shutouts, falling 56-0 in week nine against Georgia Tech, and defeating Wake Forest at home, 13-0, last weekend. The Orange held Wake to 40 rushing yards and 12 first downs in the victory, their first home ACC conference triumph. Maryland sat idle in week 10 following a 40-27 defeat against Clemson. The teams last met in 1994 with Maryland claiming a 21-16 victory. Terrapins&rsquo; head coach Randy Edsall played and coached at Syracuse.
Duke (6-2, 2-2 ACC) opens up a two-game home stand with a matchup against in-state foe, NC State (3-5, 0-5 ACC). The Blue Devils have won four-straight and have not won seven games in a season since going 8-4 in 1994. Duke had a bye in week 10 following a victory over then-ranked Virginia Tech, its first win over a ranked opponent since the 1994 season. NC State dropped its fourth-straight game, falling 27-10 at home versus North Carolina.
Pittsburgh (4-4, 2-3 ACC) steps out of conference play to host No. 23 Notre Dame (7-2). The Panthers are coming off road losses at Navy and Georgia Tech, returning home for the first time since defeating Old Dominion on October 19. Pittsburgh QB Tom Savage has thrown at least one touchdown pass in seven of eight games this season, including three-straight heading into this weekend. Notre Dame&rsquo;s only losses have come against ranked opponents, Michigan and Oklahoma. Pittsburgh last beat the Irish in 2009, 27-22.
Boston College (4-4, 2-3 ACC) completes non-conference play with a road trip to New Mexico State (1-8). The Eagles defeated Virginia Tech at home in week 10, 34-27, behind 166 rushing yards and two touchdowns from RB Andre Williams.
Alex WilcoxTue, 05 Nov 2013 13:23:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:204http://russellathleticbowl.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=203&PortalID=0&TabID=96American Week Eleven Previewhttp://russellathleticbowl.com/news/tabid/96/ID/203/American-Week-Eleven-Preview.aspx
The two remaining unbeaten teams in American Athletic conference play face off as Houston (7-1, 4-0 American) visits No. 21 UCF (6-1, 3-0 American). The winner takes sole possession of first place in the conference and controls its own destiny to a BCS bid. Both teams have found success on offense, as Houston leads The American in scoring (41.1 ppg), while UCF ranks third (37.0). Houston QB John O&rsquo;Korn and UCF QB Blake Bortles rank in the top four in the conference in both passing yards and passer efficiency. The teams have met four times since 2005 with UCF claiming three of the victories, including most recently at home in 2010.&nbsp;
Cincinnati (6-2, 3-1 American) welcomes SMU (3-4, 2-1 American) and the conference&rsquo;s leading passer, Garrett Gilbert. The senior quarterback has passed for 2,634 yards and 15 touchdowns, including 538 yards and four touchdowns in the team&rsquo;s 59-49 victory over Temple two weeks ago. Cincinnati has won three-straight conference games over Temple, Connecticut and Memphis. The Bearcats are led by a defense that has not allowed more than 21 points in a game since September 7 against Illinois. SMU and Cincinnati have not met previously.
No. 20 Louisville (7-1, 3-1 American) makes a Friday night trip to play Connecticut (0-7, 0-3 American). While QB Teddy Bridgewater steals the headlines for Louisville, the defense has put together a stellar season, ranking second nationally in scoring defense (10.6 ppg). In the Cardinals&rsquo; seven wins, they have allowed seven points or less five times. Connecticut plays its second-straight ranked foe after falling on the road at UCF, 62-17, in week 10. UConn defeated Louisville on the road last season, and has won four of the last six meetings.
Memphis (1-6, 0-4 American) plays its final non-conference game of the season, hosting FCS foe UT Martin (6-3, 4-2 OVC).Alex WilcoxTue, 05 Nov 2013 13:21:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:203